Craig Wilson, co-founder, director and in-house gardening expert at Gardeners Dream, explained: “As the winter chill sets in, it’s time to don the gardening gloves for one of the most crucial tasks in the gardeners’ calendar, pruning.
“While the rest of the garden takes a well-deserved rest, this is the perfect opportunity to shape and prepare your plants for the upcoming spring.
“From the cascading beauty of wisteria to the classic elegance of roses, each plant requires a unique touch.
“Here are my top tips on pruning a selection of popular garden staples, ensuring they not only survive but thrive in the coming seasons.”
1. Roses
Roses are one of the most popular garden plants which can be pruned in January to stimulate new growth.
The expert said to cut back any dead, damaged or diseased wood in late winter or early spring.
Gardeners should also prune back the remaining branches to an outward-facing bud shape to promote outward growth.
Craig added: “Follow this by opening up the centre of the bush by removing any inward-growing branches.
“This will help to improve air circulation and light penetration, reducing the risk of disease and encouraging healthy blooms.”
2. Clematis
Group two clematis, which flower on both new and old wood, can be pruned during January, February or March.
The expert said to make sure to remove dead or weak stems, whilst also cutting back the remaining stems to a strong pair of buds to encourage robust new growth and flowering.
Chris continued: “When dealing with group three clematis, these are the ones that bloom in late summer on new growth and can be pruned back hard each year.
“You should prune them back hard in late winter. This means cutting back all the previous year’s stems to a pair of strong buds about 15cm to 30cm above ground level, which will promote a flush of new growth and a profusion of blooms.”
3. Wisteria
According to Craig, regular pruning of this plant ensures more “prolific blooming” throughout the flowering season.
He added: “In mid-winter, cut back the side shoots, shortened in the previous summer, to two or three buds from the base to enhance the plant structure and focus energy on the formation of spring flowers.
“You’ll then want to remove any unwanted or excessive growth, especially around windows and gutters to maintain the shape and control the size of the plant.”
